It’s amazing the difference a little coat of paint can make.

There was nothing really WRONG with it before, but it was just a little drab and boring, and the white paint was getting a little grungy.

And this is the view from the kitchen.

Lots of white on white. And while I do love white, it can sometimes look a little boring.

I have been leaning toward bold colors lately. After living with a mostly-white house for over two years, the pendulum is swinging back the other way, baby.

Check out my dining room accent wall on Instagram, for instance. Go ahead. Click here. I’ll wait.

I’ll be honest: I used to be the BOLDEST home decorator and was unafraid to make a decorating choice that might scare most people. I was the first of my friends to paint a wall red years ago, back when that was in style.

Oh, and the ceiling was gold, and you better believe it looked GOOD.

Somehow, for some reason, I’ve been afraid to do anything bold, and yet, I’m always the most satisfied with my choices when I am fearless in my choices.

I picked up a sample of Iron Ore from Sherwin Williams recently. It’s a deep, dark, almost-black, gray, and it’s gorgeous. I wanted to use this somewhere but was a little scared. I slapped up a few strokes on my laundry room wall, and hesitated, and so it’s been sitting there for a few weeks while I worked up the courage.

I finally decided to dive in and go for it, and the results are stunning, if I do say so myself.

And the blackish gray looks even more amazing next to my white kitchen.

Be honest: what are your thoughts? Would you paint a room black?